Pipe or tubing tong



Oct. 26, 1937. w. A. OBANNON 2,097,038

PIPE OR TUBING TONG Filed April 10, 1956 Patented Oct. 26, 1937 a 097 638 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE R TUBING TONG Walter A. OBannon, Tulsa, Okla. Application April 10, 1936, Serial No. 73,771

6 Claims. (Cl. 81-91) This invention relates to improvements in tools forces imparted to the handle member in the and in particular to that class of implements operation of the tool. a known as pipe or tubing tongs. Other and further objects and advantages of In its essential embodiment, the invention comthe invention will be hereinafter set forth and the '5 prehends the provision of a relatively stationary novel features thereof defined by the appended jaw and a movable jaw connected thereto, in claims. combination with a lever handle, all so con- In the drawing: structed and arranged that the lever has a The figure of the drawing is a side elevation variable or shiftable contact with the movable of the gripping portion of the tong device conjaw, not only for holding said body in contact structed in accordance with my invention, full 10 with the work while the tongs are being operated, lines depicting the same in gripping positionand but also for locking the tongsin such a manner dotted lines showing the release or open position as to hold the tool in position on the work durof the gripping parts. ing operation. Since these implements are usual Referring to the drawing, my invention comly fairly large, this feature is of particular adprises the body portion l which is curved at its 5 vantage in preventing injury to workmen by acfree end to provide a relatively stationary jaw 2 cidental displacementof the tool from the .work and bifurcated at its other end tdreceive one end in its use, while the arrangement of the parts of a movable jaw 3 which is mounted on the pivot is such that a positive grip of non-slipping charpin 4 fixed to and extending through the biacter is afforded, which gripping action increases furcates. The pin 4 also passes through aslot 5 in proportion to the stress which is applied to the in the jaw member 3 so as to provide a sliding tool for rotating the work in the manner hereor adjusting connection for reasons hereinafter inafter fully set forth. set forth. 7

I am aware that it has heretofore been pro-. Aswill be observed, the body l is relatively long,

posed to construct a pipe tong of the type of my its forward or free end curving inwardly and 125 invention wherein the handle member is so arcarrying a bit 6, rectangular in cross section and ranged that it has a single point or line contact preferably held in position by means of a wedge with the movable jaw, but in this form of conkey I. This permits the bit to be shifted from struction the distance between such point of time to time in order to present a sharp cutting so contact and thepivot of the movable jawreor bi in e a Wear ak pl in he e f mains the same at all times. Such an arrangethe implement. The body I. is also formed with merit, however, involves distinct disadvantages in a work-engaging face 8 conforming to theradius that excess wear is produced at this contact point of the pipe or tubing with which it is generally and the gripping action cannot be increased in used, and'the purpose of which will hereinafter proportion to the turning actionstresses. Furmore particularly appear. thermore, in the use of implements of' this char- The movable jaw 3 is formed at its forward end acter, when improper gripping action is thus with a relatively wide seat or recess 3a which is produced, undue distortion or crushing of the substantially of the same radius as the tubing retubing usually takes place when it is necessary to ferred to, while its rear face is continuously curved 4o employ heavy turning stresses. to form a cam surface 31) for cooperation with a 40 My invention,therefore, is particularly designed handle or lever member 9 of any desired length, as an improvement upon this known type of conpivotally connected intermediate its ends to the struction, to overcome these defects and to probifurcated end of the body I as by means of vide a construction wherein the tong will autopivot pin Ill. The rear end of the jaw member matically act to hold itself in position on the tub- 3 is curved downwardly in the form of a tail piece 5 ing to which it is applied and the parts will so ll extending on the side of the pivot of the jaw adjust themselves as to afford the desired biting member opposite to that of the engaging portion and turning action, which actions tend to inof the jaw memben'this, tail piece cooperating crease in proportion to the force applied to effect with an inclined surface 9a of the handle to p 59 Such actions and With less Crushing effect as this positively move the jaw 3 into an open position. fo s increased- In this opening movement, the end of the tail A fu Object in View S to provide a form piece slides along the surface 9a until it strikes of movable jaw for tools of this character, which the shoulder 9b whereupon the opening movement offers a large area of contact with the work so as of the jaw member is stopped.

to effect a desired distribution of the turning As before premised, the slot 5 in thejaw mem- 5 5 ber 3 permits freedom of movement of said member in adjusting itself between the tubing and the inner end of the handle so as to equalize its position, so to speak, to effect proper seating of the tube against the engaging face 3a. The inner end of the handle 9 is cut obliquely so as to form a plano-sliding surface 12 which slips along the curved rear face 32; of the movable jaw member 3 to move it into contact with the tube to be gripped. It is to be particularly noted that this obliquely cut surface also maintains a single line contact with the rear face 3b of jaw member 3, the distance from this contact line to the pivot pin 4 being variable for different positions of the handle, from the position indicated by the line A to the position indicated by the line B.

It will be noted from the foregoing that in the gripping position shown in full lines in the drawing that the point of contact a: betweenthebody I and the tube is approximately 120 from the point of contact of the bit 6 withthe tubing and that the area of the contact between the tubing and the movable jaw 3 is substantially diametrically opposite these two points; further, that since the contact surface 3a conforms to the curvature of the pipe and is of a length equal toapproximately one quarter of the circumference of the pipe, it offersa large area for the distribution of the turning stresses imparted to the end of the handle 9 in the operation of the tool on tubing.

It should be understood that when this implement is used on slightly worn or undersized tubing, the radius of the jaw member 3 will be of slightly larger curvature than that of the tubing. As before stated, the jaw will automatically-adjust itself by sliding on its pivot connection 4-. With the application of considerable pressure to the handle member 9; the tube will tend to take a slightly elliptical form, movement in the direction of the stationary jaw being limited by the small difference in curvature of the surface 3a and the curvature of the undersize pipe, after which the curved face 8 ofthe body member I will contact with the opposite side of the pipe and effectively stop further distortion.

The end of the jaw member 3 may be made to extend to such a point that the inward movement of the jaw member 3 after a predetermined amount can be prevented bythe contact between this end of the jaw member and the edge of the adjacent bifurcate arms of' the body member I, or the projecting edges of the head of the handle 9 may be so formed as to contact with the inner edges of the bifurcate arms to limit the closing movement. A limit to the crushing effect of the tool may thus be provided for.

The operation of the invention will be clear from the foregoing description. In applying the implement to a pipe or tube of the proper size for which it is adapted, the jaws are swung first to open position, as shown in dotted lines in the drawing. Now, by exerting pressure against the handle, gripping action will take place. At the beginning, the contact between the handle and jaw member 3 is at the heel of the end face l2 of said handle. This, it will be observed, is considerably outside of a line drawn between the bit 6 and the pivot If! for the handle. As the pressure on the handle continues the contact between the face I 2 and the end of the handle slides along the curved face 3b of the movable jaw toward a point more closely related to the pivot pin 4 of said jaw member, as shown in full lines in the drawing just preceding the fin l gripping position. When the full gripping action takes place and the tubing is fully seated in the curved portion 8, the contact point between the surface l2 and the face 3b lies in a position substantially beyond the line between the bit 6 and the pivot pin l0, somewhat after the manner of a toggle. This assures a locking of the implement on the tubing which will prevent accidental displacement of the implement as turning stresses are applied to the handle, The operator of the tool is thus free to apply the turning stresses intermittently with greater or less force without fear of the implement slipping from its position on the tubing. In this movement of the parts into full gripping position, it is important to note that the contact point between the end of the handle and the camming surface of the jaw membermoves from a point remote from the pivot 4 towards said pivot, during which action the bit 6 is caused to embed itself in the surface of the tubinguntil the latter fully contacts with the curved portion between at of the relatively stationary jaw and the bit.

This two point contact with the tube at one side, in conjunction with the relatively large contact of the jaw member 3 at the opposite side assures such a grip upon the tubing that slippage will be prevented and the tendency to distort or crush the tubing-decreases as the pressure in the turning operation is increased.

It is obvious that slight changes may be made in the details of construction of this implement without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim:

1. A pipe tong comprising a curved body member terminating in a relatively fixed jaw atone end, a handle member pivotally connected intermediate its length to the other end of the body member and terminating in an angularly cut extremity, and a movable jaw member pivotally connected to the body member and adjustable relative to the .work to be .gripped independently of the pivotal movement and having a work-engaging face or seat conforming substantially tothe contour of the work to be gripped, said jaw member having a curved camming surface opposite the seat aforesaid with which the angularly cut extremity of the handle has a sliding contact, said contact on the jaw member varying for different positions of the handle member and shifting from a position outside of a line drawn from the end contact of the fixed jaw member to the pivot of the handle member to a position inside of said line as the work is gripped to establish an interlock of the tong on the body.

2. A pipe tong as set forth in claim 1- wherein the movable jaw member is slotted so as to permit the independent movement and provided with a tail extension with which the handle member coacts to effect release of the jaws from the work.

3. A pipe tong comprising a curved body member terminating in a relatively fixed-jaw at one end to engage about the work to be gripped, said jaw member contacting with the work at spaced points, a movable jaw member slidably and pivotally carried by the fixed jaw member and disposed to contact with the work at a point substantially opposite the spaced points aforesaid, and a handle member pivoted to the other end of the body member, the end of the handle member being disposed to contact with the movable jaw member to shift the same into gripping relationto the work, the contacting surfaces of said handle and movable jaw members being constructed and arranged to establish an interlock of the tongs capable of holding themselves in position on the work when gripping pressure is exerted on the handle.

4. A pipe tong as set forth in claim 3 wherein the movable jaw member is formed with an extended work-receiving seat conforming to the contour of and contacting with the work so as to distribute the gripping pressure about the work over a considerable area.

5. A pipe tong comprising a curved body member between the ends of which the work is adapted to be received, said body member having a bit at one end for biting engagement with the work, a movable jaw member pivotally and slidably connected to the body member near its other end and having a curved seat conforming to and contacting with the work at the side opposite the bit aforesaid, said member being self-adjusting in seating the work and having a curved camming face at the side opposite the seat, and a handle member pivoted intermediate its ends to the end of the body member opposite the bit aforesaid, said handle terminating in an angular planoface coacting with the camming surface of the movable jaw member, said contact shifting along the said jaw member from a point remote from its pivot toward said pivot as gripping pressure is exerted on the handle.

6. A pipe tong as set forth in claim 5 wherein the movable jaw member is provided with a tail extension and the handle member is formed with a contact surface adapted to cooperate with said extension to assist in releasing the tongs from the work when the handle is shifted in one direction.

WALTER A. OBANNON. 

